By Ryan Burton
krikya360.com recently reported that WBA junior middleweight champion Miguel Cotto's team is asking for a December 3rd rematch with Antonio Margarito to take place at a catch-weight of 150 pounds.
BoxingScene caught up with Margarito's trainer Robert Garcia to get his thoughts on the catch-weight request. Garcia said that he heard that the fight had already been agreed upon at the full junior middleweight limit of 154 pounds and that Cotto's team is just trying to mess with Margarito's head.
"My understanding is that there is a contract already in place for the fight to take place at 154. They are just playing games," Garcia told BoxingScene.
Throughout boxing's history there have been many fights fought with catch-weights in place but in the past 5 years they seem to be more prevalent. Manny Pacquiao's fights versus Margarito and Cotto come to mind. So do the Bernard Hopkins versus Winky Wright, Roy Jones versus Felix Trinidad and Paulie Malignaggi versus Juan Diaz just to name a few.
Garcia thinks that Cotto's team may think that this is the only fight out there for Margarito so they are trying to suck him down with the catch-weight. The trainer who has seen his popularity boom in the past year insists that his fighter can't get down to 150 anymore.
"They just see all these catch-weights nowadays. They think this is the only option for Tony but Tony can't make 150. If they want to keep insisting on 150 then maybe there is no fight."
I was recently advised that a compromise of a 152 pound catchweight was also
being mentioned. The Oxnard, CA based trainer feels that is a more realistic
number but feels that Cotto should defend his title at the weight in which he
won it.
"152, that is something different. Tony and his manager (Sergio Diaz) can take a look at it. Cotto won the title (and defended it) at 154. If he wants to fight lower he should go back to 147."
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